US embassy cable - 05SANAA2033

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002033 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, PHUM, YM, DOMESTIC POLITICS 
SUBJECT: ISLAH ON RECENT RIOTING AND ECONOMIC REFORM 
 
REF: SANAA 1976 
 
Classified By: CDA Nabeel Khoury for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  On July 23, in the wake of a recent rioting 
across the country (ref. A), CDA met with opposition Islah 
party leaders Abdelwahab al-Anisi, Mohammed Qahtan and 
Mohammed al-Saidi to urge peaceful and constructive 
opposition vice support for street demonstrations.  Anisi, 
Islah Assistant SYG, assured CDA that his party would deal 
with the issue "sensitively," but condemned the ROYG for 
using excessive force to put down the civil unrest of the 
past week.  End Summary. 
 
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Islah Will React Responsibly 
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2 (C) Anisi responded to CDA's appeal to act carefully given 
current tensions that, "Islah will act responsibly," and 
promised that the party would deal with the economic reform 
situation "very carefully."  Anisi told CDA that Islah would 
most likely raise the issue in Parliament as they "always" 
do, but that party leaders feel that restraint is being 
abused by the ROYG's accusations that Islah has nothing to 
offer.  Nevertheless, Anisi agreed with CDA that there is a 
danger that a public protest would get out of hand in the 
current atmosphere. 
 
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But The ROYG Did Not 
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3. (C) Anisi described the ROYG's reaction to the violence as 
"hasty," revealing that Islah plans to call for a "realistic 
investigation" into the events once things have settled down. 
 Specifically, he condemned the security forces' use of real 
bullets and pointed to the Joint Meetings Party (JMP) 
opposition coalition's July 22 statement condemning "acts of 
sabotage" against private property as well as ROYG "acts of 
killing."  He predicted that it would not take long for the 
ROYG to accuse the opposition of starting the riots. 
 
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Reform Handled Badly 
-------------------- 
 
4. (C) On economic reforms, Anisi said that such a dramatic 
lifting of oil subsidies should have been accompanied by 
anti-corruption efforts.  Islah, he added, had suggested 
lifting the subsidies in 1995 but only gradually and 
accompanied by a serious anti-corruption campaign.  Anisi 
accused the ROYG of rejecting Islah's suggestions because it 
did not "fit in their agenda."  Instead, Anisi accused the 
ROYG of using reforms to collect more revenue from the common 
people.  "If the government implemented reform as we had 
suggested it would have all been done by now, and without 
violence," he said. 
 
5. (C) CDA suggested reengaging in the opposition-ROYG 
dialogue to address Islah's corruption concerns. 
Specifically, CDA recommended that Islah could suggest 
specific programs on which to spend the government's savings 
from lifting the subsidies.  Anisi replied that the ROYG's 
past actions indicate that they are not interested in "true" 
dialogue but that Islah would engage in good faith if the CDA 
could convince the other side to be more serious. 
 
6. (C) CDA's meeting with Islah appears to have had one 
effect already.  On July 25 Islah issued a statement, without 
the JMP, urging demonstrators to "express opinions through 
peaceful means and to avoid violence that would harm the 
homeland."  The statement also demanded an investigation into 
the "cold blooded" murder of protesters as soon as possible. 
Khoury